Float valve



Dec. 4 1923.

FLOAT VALVE Filed May 14. 1921 0 a f ZM d 1 .d M L 4 g lll-ll'll d u. d WIW 0 w z 2 yf o d ||||||l llllllllllll Il n 46 f77 @g77-r' M d? @Z4-g Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

NATHANIEL S. BLACK, 0F NEWTONVILLE, BIASSACHUSETTS.

FLOAT VALVE.

Application filed May 14,

To alla* hom, it may con cern Be it known that I, NATHANIEL S. BLACK,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Newtonville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Float Valves, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing `like parts.

' My present invention is an improved and novel float valve or ball cock, and important objects of the invention are to provide a simple, efficientand quick acting valve of this type.

Further important objects of the invention are to provide a valve which will seat with the pressure of the water supply; to eliminate all springs or the like; to afford a simple construction which will be operative on a relatively slight movement of the float; to maintain the moving and operating parts of the valve above and therefore normally out of the water of the tank to which the apparatus is applied, and to enable a renewable valve seat or washer to be quickly, easily and readily renewed.

In carrying out my invention I have devised an extremely simple and eiicient arrangement of the movable part which will facilitate assembling the same, enable all portions of the valve to be easily and conveniently reached` and furthermore to de sign a valve of this type which will be positive in its action and capable of use with vhigh pressure wat-er supply. By having the valve closed by and with the pressure of the supply, the greater the pressure the tighter the valve will close, and furthermore should the float or similar operative parts connected therewith be damaged, broken or removed, the valve will, of course, remain closed and prevent leakage during such con dition. I prefer to connect the float and rod carrying the same directly to a shaft which carries an-eccentric operating a rod adapted to raise the ball valve from its seat, against the water pressure and thereby obtain a very quick acting and efficient device.

In preferred form I arrange my improved valve in connection with a water tank for flushing the water closets, to automatically maintain a water supply, and I also provide a branch relill pipe and a hush pipe, the end of the latter (not shown) being main- 1921. Serial No, 469,668.

tained at all times under water. Thus I obtain the advantages of av noiseless operating valve free from danger of leaking, insuring the action of the refill from the beginning of the water flow until it is entirely shut olii'. By having the moving parts on the discharge side of the valve it is-not necessary to have the same water tight, as the Valve itself shuts eff the pressure and the operating portions in connection with the float and rod need not be water tight One of the important advantages is the feature of the removable valve seat or ring which can be quickly reached, readily removed and easily replaced. I prefer to make this valve seat of metal as well as the valve ball, preferably having the valve seat of soft metal. and ther valve ball of relatively hard metal, so that the action of the ball against the seat will serve to quickly form contact in a manner to eliminate any inequalities between the two contacting surfaces, and thus insure a tight metallic seat. While I prefer to use metal and therefore to have the advantage of an all metal valve and without springs,yet I contemplate using any suitable material for this valve seat, such for example as hard or soft fiber, leather. composition or other suitable material. T he valve seat can aiforda relatively large opening and fit snugly about the ball nearly adjacent the diameter of the same, s0 that the slightest lifting of the ball from its seat by the action of the float and associated parts, will afl'ord a full flow of water through the valve.

Further advantages, novel combinations and importantfeat-ures will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodin'ient of my invention,

Fig. l is a view partly in cross-section illustrating my improved valve construction applied to a tank (not shown) of usual type;

Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating the ball or float and connection therefrom to the valve;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating the. assembling of the valve operating rod and the eccentric actuating same; and

Fig. 'i a view showing the eccentric and valve in position for operation of the apparatus.

It will be appreciated that I can make my valve of any suitable size, and capable el' application to diiferent uses, NfaryinQVpreS- sures of supply, etc., and also of different material. Preferably and as herein shown forni the valve of non-corrosive metal, such as brass, and construct the saine, pref'- erably, entirely of metal, being an all-metal valve, although as above noted, the renewable washer may be of other material.

Referring to the drawings, l shows a sup* ply pipe.l 2 designates the union thereto, which is tted in a convenient position and within sight, reach and easy operation at the top of the tank (not shown), 3 the elbow from the supply to the valve proper, 5 designating the valve casing, to which is formed as an integral part thereof the outlet he valvecasino; 5 is constructed with a valve chamber or recess, in which is threaded a bushing l0, abutting` against a shoulder ll at the interior and topmost part of the valve chamber, the upper interior part of the valve easing` 5 being correspondingly threaded. This bushingl has formed on its lower portion a scat 12, on which a removable washer "l is fitted. I am enabled to make this washer and seat of relatively laroje diameter to afford a greatest possible volume of iiow of water therethrough when the'ball 2O is raised from the seat. The lower portion of the cage 2l is formed as a cage 2l, with a plurality of openings 22, 22., 22, therethrough, to permit the flow of water through the valve and out of the outlet 6. rl"he lower part of the cage is formed as illustrated at 25, havinga flange 26 adaptedy to abrt against the lower portion of the valve casina' '5. Through the bottom part of the bushing l0 as shown at 28, l provide a recess to guide and receive a valve stern 30, which stein or rod adapted to lift or raise the ball from the seat l5 and open the valve.

in order to operate the valve and raise or lift the ball 20, l have devised a novel arrangement consisting' in a. shaft, 3l, adapted to rotate in recesses or bearings in eXtensions 32 and 33, which latter are formed as a part of the canje l0. This shaft 3l being provided with an eccentric 35 and the outermost end of the stem or rod 30 is litted with a yoke 3G being' in the form of two arms 37 and 38, the former beine; the innermost one and extendinf somewhat ab ve the latter and a recess therebetween, the latter adapted to tit over the eccentric portion 35 of the shaft 3l and between the adjacent sides or walls of the shaft which are milled to form the said eccentric 35, as clearly shown in il, 3 and 4. ln assembling this rod and its yoke, l rotate the shaft 3l with the eccentric 35 in outermost position, which enables the shorter arm 37 of the voire to he slid by the eccentric w ien the rod is fitted 'within the recess the cape provided therefor and thereupon the shaft 3l is partially rotated and the eccentric 35 en- ,Qagfes in the recess 4() and remains therein during the further operation of the valve. l hare so arranged and positioned my construction that a quarter rotation of the shaft 3l is sufficient to raise and lower the valve rod 3() and thus lift or seat the ball 20, and thereby prevent the eccentric escaping from the recess 40, since the rotation of the shaft is liinited,-in operative use,-to such partial turn. To effect a partial rotation of the shaft 31 and the operation of the valve, l extend the shaft 31 at one side as shown vat 4l, this extension being milled or ground oii and presentingr'a flat surface on each side to receive the forked end 42,42, of the head 43 which is a part Vof the float rod 44, carryingr the lioat or ball 45 at its outermost end, which latter is adapted to float upon the water within the tank and with suilicient weight to rotate the rod 3l and raisethe ball 2O against the pressure of the water supply. i Cotter pin holds the forked end 42, 42 in assembled position.

The apparatus as thus far described is complete and operative. The water supply flowingv through the. pipe. l, union 2 and elbow 5l and into the valve casina, serves to normally hold the ball 2O firmly upon its seat l5, increased pressure increasing the tightness of this valve und preventing leake. lt should be noted that lthere are no joints in the Valve subject tothe water pressure, excepting, of course, the union 2 which is a part of the regular piping. All other port-ions of the valve are beyond the. Vpressure and when the valve is opened it is of course immaterial whether or not the water may leali through the bearingfor the slidingr rod 80 or' not, the main lflow beine; out througrh the openings 22 .and discharge pipes 6, Then the water level supporting the float 45 is lowered, the corresponding lowering of the float 45 and rod 44 partially rotates the. shaft 3l and the eccentric portion thereof lifts t-he rod 30, raising the ball 20 against the pressure and permitting a water flow through the valve. Asthe level rises and the ball 45 rises correspondingly the eccentric 3l rotates sufficiently to lower the rod SO and permit the ball 2O to again seat upon the washer l5. lVhen it is desircd to renew the washer, which is the only .vearinppart in the valve, the entire cage and bushing 10 are unscrewed from the casing 5, the ball lifted, the washer l5 removed and replaced, and the cage re-threaded back into the valve casing 5 and the enti-re app-aratus is rea-dy for use. As herein shown l have illustrated the valve in connection with a tank for flushin, ,fz` water closets and the l ilte having an overflow pipe, and have also l to the outlet 6 a hush pipe 50.

attachee 'This may extend entirely down to the bottoni of the tanlr (not shown),- so that its lowermost opening is normally below the lowest level of water. I am enabled to utilize this construction and thereby afford an absolutely noiseless flushing tank because my valve operates with the pressure and a sufficient flow at all times is provided to lill the tank through the hush pipe 50 irrespective of its opening below the water level within the tank. Also I provide a refill branch 5l, to extend to and supply water to the overflow pipe 3Q-partially illustrated. During the flow of water through the valve and particularly because of the hush pipe 50 extending below the water level and thereby checking up the flow of water freely therethrough, the branchpipe 51 is immediately utilized as a part of the water discharge.

It will be appreciated that I have devised an efficient, simple and easily accessible and renewable valve construction, preferably working with the water pressure, enabling all the working parts to be above the normal level of water in the tank and also beyond the effect of leakage from the water pressure. Furthermore, the only renewable portion, i. e., the seat or washer is readily accessible, easily removed and renewed, and is of large diameter, permitting a quick and full flow ofwater therethrough, as soon as the ball is partially lifted. The ball 2O itself will wear indefinitely, always reseat-ing in a different position, and with the washer 15 of softer met-al or if desired of fiber or the like, the ball will soon effect a quick and tight seating in ease the seat and ball are not ground to fitwith accuracy.

My invention is further defined and described in the form of claim as follows:

A valve of the kind described, comprising a casing containing a movable valve member and a valve seat, cooperating therewith, a sliding rod to separa-te said valve and valve seat, said rod having an outwardly extending yoke, a shaft formed with an eccentric adapted to operate within said yoke and with portions of said shaft straddling the yoke, said eccentric and yoke being constructed and arranged whereby the yoke may be assembled on the shaft in inoperative position and held assembled in opera` tive position by engagement of the yoke and eccentric portions.

In testimony whereof, I have signed rmy name to this specification.

NATHANIEL S. BLACK. 

